Sage Sound Singers invite people to go ‘Somewhere in My Memory’

This Christmas, the Sage Sound Singers invite people to their annual holiday concert, which this year has a theme of “Somewhere in My Memory”.

Choir music director and conductor Michelle Reid says that she started the Sage Sound Singers, which is now in its ninth year, to supply the community—which lacked a choir—with the enjoyment of music at Christmas.

“I wanted to start a tradition, and have something continuous,” she explains. “I want to keep the traditions of Christmas alive.”

This year’s program features 14 selections, sung by the 18-member choir as a whole or in smaller groups. The pieces include well-known songs such as “Believe” from the movie The Polar Express, “Silent Night”, and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” alongside selections that might not be as well known, but which convey the Christmas spirit. There will also be a singalong, with audience members invited to join in “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”.

Reid says she comes up with the theme for each Christmas concert and researches the music. “I look at the singers I have; that’s how I choose the music.”

The choir also traditionally does a spring concert, but Reid says there won’t be one in 2019, as she focuses her attention on the dream of bringing the musical Fiddler on the Roof to life in fall 2019.

“I’ll be 69 in March 2019, and I’ve said I won’t do anything after I’m 70. I want to try doing Fiddler on the Roof. Once I get the licence and the final figures, I’ll try to get a grant and start rehearsals after Shrek The Musical, Jr. finishes [in March 2019].

“The music is looked after; [longtime collaborator pianist] Dimiter Terziev and Cvetozar Vutev [a violinist with the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra] will do that. Now I need stage managers, and I’m not sure about the scheduling.

“I don’t want to step on WRAPS’ toes, because they do such a wonderful job with their plays and musicals. But I think I can pull it off, and once it’s done, I’m done.”

In the meantime, Reid encourages people to come out and enjoy this year’s Christmas concert, which will be held on Friday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. (both performances at the Ashcroft HUB).